Joy of Motion Dance Center (JOMDC) was founded by Michelle Ava, M.A. in 1976 as a not-for-profit dance education organization in the Cleveland Park area of Washington, DC. 

Ava recognized that DC needed a dance environment that could serve a more diverse community to include non-dancers as well as aspiring professionals; to that end, JOMDC was founded under one premise and belief that ‘Dance is for Everyone.” At Joy of Motion, the goal was and remains to bring dance to all (regardless of means) and to connect dance to other related arts.  Since its inception, JOMDC quickly became a place where students could study, observe, and perform a wide variety of dance forms.

Michelle believed and held to the belief that at Joy of Motion, dance is not the province of an elite or talented few. Dance belongs to us all, and we all belong in the studio and on the stage — growing and learning, moving and creating.

As we move forward, our goals have shifted to financial sustainability and program expansion.  We have learned our lessons from the past and are prepared to catapult JOMDC into the next millennia. 

All of us here at Joy of Motion Dance Center take a bow at the thought of your generosity.

We look forward to being good stewards of your donation and inviting you to our pending events.